Hasta La Ideas

A playful alternative to this home necessity

While navigating the endless maze at the 2012 NY International Gift Fair, we came across this playful take on a home essential, the smoke detector. The Chick-a-Dee is, simply put, a smoke detector shaped like a bird; it brings a bit of life to a device designed to protect it. As the winner of the Mooi uit de brand design competition, the Chick-a-Dee previously sold in the Netherlands and has just recently been approved for sale in the U.S. The cutesy appliance draws on the American Black-capped Chicadee for its size and sound, replicating the bird’s iconic “chick-a-dee-dee” call at the first sign of smoke then emiting a louder, more sustained 85 db sound as smoke thickens.

We love the fresh thinking and fun approach from the multitalented Dutch artist and designer Louise van der Veld, bringing design ideation to a corner of the home where it’s not normally found. Now let’s just hope the batteries are easy to access for those unfortunate—and all to frequent—burned dinners. The Chick-a-Dee smoke detector is now available online in white, white with black base, pink and blue for $75.

Clever storage and dispensing solutions by Flip & Tumble

Known for their their eco-friendly ripstop nylon shopping bags, Eva Bauer and Hetal Jariwala—the industrious duo behind Flip & Tumble—keep themselves busy working on a multitude of projects. Two that caught our eye—the wall-mounted hooknook storage solution and the quirky but sleek salt and pepper shakers dubbed “squeezers.”

The cylindrical hooknook has a slightly retro look—think ’70s-era school cubbies in miniature form—that belies the serious utility of its built-in storage. A perfect fit for the entryway or over a countertop, the multi-tasking unit hangs, holds and hides phones, keys, bags and all the other random stuff you’re either grabbing or dropping as you come and go. Over in the dining area, the tennis ball-like squeezers put their own spin on the design of our mundane items and how we use them, making the task of dispensing salt and pepper just a little more joyful.

The squeezers ($12) and hooknook ($24) are available in Flip & Tumble’s online shop.

Removable fabric wall decals designed to help kids get crafty

Kids are fickle. Keeping them entertained is a never-ending problem for parents. Enter Sticky Tiki, a creative solution in the form of reusable wall decals, originally hand-painted and printed by a crafty couple in Napier, New Zealand. Made from rip- and wrinkle-proof fabric, the graphics are backed with a low-tack adhesive for easy transfer— either to reconfigure the shape, apply them outdoors or to take them with you if you move.

The printed fabric is also washable, so they not only encourage cognitive thinking through creative application, but allow for messy kids to go wild with them—perfect for interactive storytelling.

Sticky Tiki wall graphics last three to five years, and have been tested for long-lasting strength after repositioning, which work up to around 140 moves. Leaving no marks on the walls when moved, if your little one outgrows the design, there is no need to repaint the room.

The decals come in a variety of styles and range in price, typically spanning $25-150. Pick them up online from the official website or Etsy shop, where you can also contact the makers about customization.